Customer Reviews

Marian Mcpartland's Piano Jazz Radio Broadcast

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The previous reviewer did a very good job of providing a reasonably in-depth analysis of the performances on this disc, and there is no denying a few awkward moments in both conversation and improvisation. I think you really have to look at it for what it is, though, which is a one-off collaboration between two starkly contrasting artists that must have had little to no rehearsal. Medeski isn't that comfortable being traditional, and McPartland isn't that comfortable being experimental, but this gives the recording a spontaneous push-pull quality that I find quite interesting. Their respect for each other is endearing, despite McPartland's accidental jab about reading music and her obliviousness to a lot of more experimental music. They actually find common ground on "Money Jungle" by Ellington/Mingus/Roach which is very similar in spirit to this outing: Roach and Mingus the hard-boppers, and Duke the traditional, more than 20 years the elder of the other two. (In response to why he counted the tune "Caravan" off so slow, Medeski references the version on that album.) Even though they may not be the cleanest collaborations ever, I wouldn't go so far as to say that McPartland was just "trying to keep up with Medeski." At worst I'd say Bubblehouse stylistically clashes more than any other track, between Medeski and Mazzaroppi's dissonance and McPartland's firmly-rooted melodic tonality. Pleasant? Maybe not. Experimental? Definitely.

I guess my point is that if you're looking for something "in the scene" then sure, you'll probably be disappointed. There is no trance to be danced here. But as a fan of traditional jazz, the avant-garde, and pretty much everything in between, I have to say that this is quite a nice and thoughtful listen despite the obvious generation gap. I pretty much agree with the negative points the last reviewer made, but I disagree with his severity; it is perhaps worthy of subtracting one star from an otherwise excellent episode from an excellent show.

OK, so I've never actually heard Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz program on NPR. I've heard her play piano on a number of fine recordings and I know OF her radio show, but I've never actually heard it so I didn't know what to expect when I bought the CD. The album, which is a recording of her show with John Medeski as guest, spotlights an aging jazz pianist (McPartland) interviewing a musician who has become known for his creative, highly inspired and technically unorthodox style of improvisation (Medeski). The two worlds collide during their conversations (the album switches track-by-track between conversation and live piano performance). McPartland makes it apparant from the start that she is completely NOT hip to Medeski, or to the groundbreaking and immensely popular trio he plays in, and she seems largely out-of-touch with Medeski's whole concept of music in general. The highlights of the interview are comprised of the awkward and unintentionally humurous moments shared by the two (i.e. McPartland's suprise when she finds out that John Medeski can actually read music). There are some musical highlights, too, such as Medeski playing Harold Arlan's "Out of This World" on solo piano and an inspired treatment of the Ellington/Tizol classic "Caravan" with bassist Gary Mazzaroppi. McPartland is also featured with Mazzaroppi on a nice duet version of her song "Threnody." But all in all the radio program doesn't warrant being put onto disc and released. I was finally convinced to return the disc after hearing the last track...McPartland trying to keep up with Medeski on the MMW classic "Bubblehouse", and then, after finishing the song, closing the album by saying, with complete bourgeois indifference, "I think that was probably enough for everybody."

Firstly, let me say, I have been an avid listener of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz for many years on National Public Radio. I studied piano and play as a hobby for my own amusement. Additionally, I've seen Marian McPartland live, in both Chicago, Illinois and Manchester, Vermont. Marian is quite elderly and anyone reading this review should try to see her perform live while you still can. I was not familiar with John Medeski when I bought this CD a few months ago. This CD served as an introduction to his training, keyboard interests and dislikes and of course, his music. Thus, I learned something about Medeski I would not have, if not for Marian McPartland. After all, the objective of her many, many Piano Jazz shows is to educate and she succeeded with me on that front here.
There is one tune of Medeski's, "OTIS", which refers to Medeski's inspiration staying with friends while visiting the small town of Otis in Western Massachusetts. I have lived in Massachusetts and spent time in the town of Otis and the Western Massachusetts Berkshire Mountains. This composition by Medeski paints a picture with sound of this beautiful part of New England.

Excellent edition of Piano Jazz! Medeski's very talented. Will look for his work in the future.

Piano Jazz: McPartland/Medeski is a good CD but may be best suited for die-hard collectors of either Marian McPartland or John Medeski. They are joined by Gary Mazzaroppi on bass. This is a strange example of Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz" radio program, which I still listen to when my schedule allows. The program is a mixture of interview and performance, including some piano solos, piano and bass duets and some trios where Marian and her guest play along with the bassist in a sort of *dueling piano* performance. The show is usually interesting and there is always some tidbit to be learned. Depending on the guest, the performances can range from good to magical. This recording is a little bit of both. It starts a little slow, but they do get into a rhythm with each other eventually.

John Medeski, of Medeski, Martin and Wood fame, talks about his surprisingly traditional music training as a young student of classical piano and later at the New England Conservatory. He is well known for his collection of vintage keyboards and organs and his group's experimental music, but here he plays piano. He also discusses some interesting tips, such as a technique he used to help with tendinitis in his hands, by playing with tennis balls on his hands.

He displays a nice sensitivity on the piano, but perhaps doesn't have enough room to stretch out on the early tracks. One of the draw-backs to the show's format is that the lack of time for solos within tracks makes it hard to get a sense for the guest artist. Instead of experimentation or improvisation, here he shows us textbook adherence to the tunes.

There are two songs by Thelonius Monk, "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues Are" and "Bemsha Swing" which he plays conservatively. The first song seems to end in a strange way. He seems to catch Marian off-guard with his follow up selection of "Out Of This World," a composition attributed to Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. He plays this track very nicely with tons of energy. But once again he does not stray far enough from the tune to let us hear his unique style.

The interview also starts strangely. The conversation with Marian seems awkward. It would have been nice if somebody had prepared at least a background sheet on John's training for Marian. But, in a way, this is a good thing. It proves that this is a live broadcast, not the *staged* sort of interview programs that are all too common. While there is a sort of magic that can be captured in these kinds of interviews, it's also quite difficult for all of them to be flawless gems.

When Marian plays her own composition, "Threnody," it seems to break the ice a little bit. She begins this tune softly but it speeds up to a mid-tempo melody that is just lovely. This is juxtaposed by the Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington song, "Caravan," which they play energetically. You can really hear that they are finally in sync here. And when John plays his original composition, "Otis," the sensitivity of his ballad mirrors Marian's composition. These three tracks alone are worth the price of this CD.

They experiment with a free piece, which starts off strictly in an avant-garde way but seems to turn into an almost neo-classical composition before stopping abruptly. They experiment clearly makes them both uncomfortable, and they quickly abandon ship. Marion even remarks, "those things are fun ... there may be someone out there holding their ears." Truer words have rarely been spoken. But they redeem themselves somewhat by ending with the MMW song, "Bubble House."

In terms of the sound quality, this recording is light years ahead of the sound you can get with most over-the-air radio broadcasts of the show. I say "most" based upon the chance that some people might be able to pull in similarly clear sound if their local affiliate offers HD Radio. In any case, there are some recording artifacts on a few of the tracks, including Threnody. But those who are not looking for these things will not likely find them. The sound is very good overall, particularly for a live broadcast.

CONCLUSION

While this CD is not perfect, there are plenty of highlights. If nothing else, people should consider purchasing those songs as MP3s and exploring more of John Medeski's music.

Enjoy.